Stars:
Michael Truccio, Tara Spencer Narin, Jason Thompson, Victor Webster, Kimberly
Hue, and John Novak
Writer:
John Benjamin Martin
Director:
Chris Angel
Feature
length: 92 minutes
Extras:
Audio Commentary Tracks, Featurette, Storyboard Gallery, Trailer, and Djinn’s
Dating Guide Q&A Session
Languages:
English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and 2.0 Surround Sound
Subtitles:
English Closed Captions and Spanish Language Subtitles
Packaging:
Amaray Keep Case
Chapter
Stops: 20
Sound:
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and 2.0 Surround Sound
Year
of Theatrical Release: 2002/DVD Release: 2002
Home
Video Distributor: Artisan Home Entertainment
MPAA
Rating: R
Reviewer:
Mark A. Rivera
The
fourth installment in the “Wishmaster” series has finally arrived with some
interesting ideas and directions the series had not previously explored, but
unfortunately the film fails to satisfactorily develop these ideas in any
fulfilling manner, which makes “Wishmaster: The Prophecy Fulfilled” the
weakest entry in the series. “Wishmaster: The Prophecy Fulfilled” was filmed
back to back with the third installment the series that was released on DVD last
year. Director Chris Angel directed both films with John Novak stepping into the
role as new Djinn and not the same one so brilliantly portrayed in the first two
installments by Andrew Divoff.
This
film has a young couple marred by tragedy. The husband has been confined to a
wheelchair and resents his wife, who he thinks has been sleeping around with the
defense attorney who has been trying to get a hefty settlement on their case.
When their lawyer gives the woman the red jewel, she accidentally releases the
Djinn, who quickly tricks, kills, and assumes the identity of the lawyer and
collects as many souls through delivering twisted takes on the granted desires
of others until he finally get the third wish from the woman who awoke him.
However the wish is to experience true love, which is something our Djinn cannot
fulfill readily because he has never known love. So the film has our Djinn
undergoing a crash course on finding out “what women want?” with a mix of
the usual gore and dark comedy elements signature to the series.
The
film promises the viewer to see multiple Djinns, who are just waiting to be
freed from their imprisonment once our Djinn has fulfilled the prophecy by
granting the third wish. The three extra Djinn caught just outside our own
dimension look like puppets. This would have been a great chance to bring Andrew
Divoff back at least for a quick cameo as the other Djinn we have all come to
know and fear and bring a great cohesive sense to the quartet as a whole, but
alas not even the appearance of extra Djinn can bring any life to this
installment, which begins to resemble an entry in the “Hellraiser” franchise
more so than a “Wishmaster” film.
There
is a slaying Angel like being released to prevent the Djinn from fulfilling the
wish of the asker, even if it means killing the person whose wish has yet to be
granted, but even here the suspense is sorely lacking and the mythology is never
expanded to a level that would have upped the stakes for the series.
As it appears it looks like b-roll footage from “The Prophecy
Trilogy” or “Highlander Series.”
Artisan
Home Entertainment presents “Wishmaster: The Prophecy Fulfilled” with a 16
by 9 widescreen (1.85:1) transfer with an English Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
Soundtrack and an English Dolby Surround Soundtrack and English Closed Captions
for the hearing impaired and Spanish Language Subtitles as options. The picture
quality is bit soft, but the soundtrack options are fine. Director Chris Angel
participates in two audio commentary tracks. One commentary features John Novak,
which is more humorous and less screen specific. The other track features other
cast members and is a bit more technical and definitely more screen specific.
They are both fine and reveal that this installment was envisioned to be the
final film in the series, but with a resolution as weak as this one, I actually
hope they make a fifth film and bring the franchise back to its roots.
The
rest of the extra features are more or less poor attempts to bring humor to the
DVD with a moronic interactive question and answer session where viewers will
here Director Chris Angel ask the Djinn a question and then hear Novak in Djinn
character give smug responses. A videotaped behind-the-scenes featurette (7:15)
attempting to poke fun at “Masterpiece Theater” ends up ruining any possible
enjoyment the viewer might have at watching the production footage. A storyboard
gallery and a trailer (1:22) wrap up the extra features in this DVD edition of
“Wishmaster: The Prophecy Fulfilled” and there is also an insert with liner
notes by Director Chris Angel within the DVD keep case.
The
interactive menus are fully animated with full motion scene selections and are
easy to navigate. You know I liked the first three “Wishmaster” films and
despite my reservations on the fourth I am still going to recommend
“Wishmaster: The Prophecy Fulfilled” as a rental and only as a purchase for
hardcore fans who want to complete their “Wishmaster” DVD collection on the
hope that perhaps Artisan will consider that this is still a franchise with
untapped potential and hire some new blood to bring some life and soul back into
the series. (No pun intended.)
“Wishmaster:
The Prophecy Fulfilled” is available on DVD-Video now from Artisan Home
Entertainment.
©
Copyright 2002 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.